UK heatwave warning: Temperatures to soar to 86F TODAY as hottest weekend of year hits

BRITAIN is baking in the hottest weekend of the year amid warnings temperatures will rocket even higher today. Government officials have issued stark warnings to stay out of the sun and keep a close eye on elderly and vulnerable friends and neighbours.

Temperatures have reached or surpassed 28C (82.4F) for 13 days in a row with similar values expected through to mid-month.

If the trend continues past the 19-day mark it will beat the current record set in August 1997, the Met Office said.

Government records reveal temperatures reached 28C or above for 16 days in July 2006; 13 days in August 2003; 19 days in August 1997; 15 days in August 1995 and in 1976, the year of the historic scorcher, twice for 18 days – in June/July and again in August.

Former BBC forecaster Michael Fish said the unusually warm weather will continue next week with no end in sight to the heatwave.

England fans in Russia will also be braving blowtorch conditions as temperatures hit 30C in Samara as the Three Lions take on Sweden, he added.

He said: “There is no change in the offing with no let up in the heatwave or the drought.

“It won’t be as hot every day next week as there is going to be a change in the wind direction and this will cool things down.”

“It is going to be pretty hot and steamy in Russia for the football and it is going to stay pretty hot over the weekend.

“We have high pressure over us and it looks as though we have high pressure over us through the week although this then slips to the west bringing a more northerly airflow.

“There is a chance that next weekend things may break down with some thunder storms.”

UK heatwave in pictures: Baking Britain cracks in hot weather

Baking Britain cracks as the hot weather continues.

She said: “No relief from the heat is expected on Monday as temperatures once again soar to 29-30 C (85-86 F) with no rainfall in sight.

“A brief lowering of temperatures is possible by Tuesday or Wednesday as flow from north spreads over England.

“High temperatures may fail to reach 27 C (80 F) for a day or two before rising again late next week.

“According to the UK Met Office, this could be the hottest Wimbledon on record if the high temperature averages higher than 25.4 C (77.7 F) throughout the 14 days of the tournament.

“The previous record was set in 1976.”

WeatherOnline forecaster Simon Keeling said very hot weather will hold out at least until the middle of next week.

He said: “At the moment little change in the forecast by next Wednesday with still high pressure the dominant feature across much of the UK.

“A lot of dry weather is still forecast to be maintained by next Thursday at the moment despite a risk of some locally heavy and perhaps thundery showers developing in places, but perhaps particularly across south-west England.

“Pressure may begin to slowly fall by next Saturday but certainly uncertainties, but may be a greater risk of a few heavy or thundery showers breaking out across parts of England and Wales, otherwise there is still likely to be quite a lot of dry weather with some bright or sunny spells too.”

The Met Office’s long-range outlook predicts above-average temperatures largely holding out until the end of the month.

It states: “Temperatures are likely to be above average for many with further very warm spells possible, most likely in the south.

"Temperatures will be closer to average in any unsettled spells, these most likely in the north and northwest.”